Inking utensil



June 12, 1945. J. A. DoNDERo INKING UTENSIL Filed Nov. 15, 1942 1INVENToR.

By v v Johy-Jil @andato zar Patented June 12, 1945 UNITED STATESPATl-N'I OFFICE INKING UTENsIL John A. Dondero, Brooklyn,` N. Y.Application November 13, 1942, serial No. 465,436` Y (ci. 41-4) "i 1Claim.

This invention relates to an inking utensil which is adapted for fingerprint work. .v The invention concerns such a utensil by itself as wellas in combination with another iinger print implement. Y

In the art of nger printing ink is applied to the part from which aprint is to be taken, e. g.

a nger, toe or other portion of an extremity or body, by way of aninking device which is nor mally iiat or convex and mounted level orsubstantially level or is suited for depositing upon a level surface.Where the part of which a print is to be taken is round, in the case ofa nger, it is desirable to roll the linger over such a device, in orderto apply in k to all those portions which should be comprised in theprint. Such an operation of inking from a level inking device may proveto be quite awkward with a person having more or less stiff extremities,and it may be most diicult not to say impossible in connection with acorpse.

Such disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the instantinvention. The object is to provide an inking means which may be appliedto a more or less stationary part of which a print is to be takeninstead of applying such a part to a stationary, predeterminedlyallocated inking device.

In providing such a novel inking utensil, I also have the object ofrendering available thereon, for repeated use, a duly limited supply ofink. Bearing in mind that no good, permanently usable inking means areknown, the inking utensil of this invention is to be arranged to allowfor ready replacement of the inking means proper, or of the inking pad.For the instant purposes an inking pad is defined as a means providing asurface` from which substantially like amounts of `a fluid or semi-fluidadapted for printing may be removed, time and time again by Contact orrubbing.

The invention has a further object of allowing simultaneously inking ofa convex object at spaced points. For such purpose I provide a concaveinking pad or. an inking utensil predeterminedly retaining an inking padin a ooncavely exposed position.

In the finger print art we know of a frame,

which replaceably retains paper so that it is concavely exposed, and maymore readily receive a finger print. Because of its preferred eld ofuse, such a frame is commonly called a post mortem spoon. It is anotherobject of this invention to combine the instant printing device withsuch a spoon in such fashion, that both devices are simplied, sucharrangements alsov facilitating their use.

In such a combination device as well as in the instant printing device,I have also the objectk of arranging the means detachably retaining aprinting pad in a mannerpreventing dislocation of the pad during use,and in a way preventing smearing and smudging.

Both phases of the invention have also features of improved and simpliedconstruction.

These and other objects will bebetter undern stood from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawing which shows the invention byway of illustration, but which is not to be considered in limitationofthe invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the device of this invention. K

Fig. 2 is a corresponding cross-sectioned side view. y

Fig. 3 shows a front view of another embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a corresponding cross-sectioned side View, the direction andline of cross-section being indicated by the numeral 4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a corresponding cross-sectioned end view, the level anddirection of the view being pointed out `by the numeral 5 in Fig. 3.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various views.

While several features of. the'invention are shown only in connectionwith the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, and other features are illustratedin the embodiment of Figs. 3 5, it is understood that these features canexchangeably be applied to the two embodiments.

In its simplest form the invention provides a handle and a frame at theend' of said handle.

The frame accommodates the inking pad II, sol

' handle and .frame are preferably rigidly assembled, whereas the inking.pad may be stiff or exible. In the embodiment of Figs. l and 2, the

vinking pad I I assumes the simplest and commonly known form of anabsorbent material, e. g. felt, a sheet I I of such material beingfilled with printing material, e. g. ink. Frame I2 has a flat surfacewhich is substantially of a size accommodating the inking pad I I in anextended position. The opposite, marginal sides of the frame are bent upand over to form the U-shaped trough formation I3, which slidablyaccommodate the marginal portions and opposite edges of the ink pad I I.In these trough formations the inking pad II may be slid down until itcomes to a stop at the lower end of the frame. The drawing shows thebottom marginal portion of frame I2 to be bent up and over insubstantially the same manner as its side margins, so that there is a U-shaped trough formation I 4, underneath which the bottom end or edge ofinking pad Il is aocommodated. I

Handle I 5 extends from the open side of the frame and it is shown to beattached, e. g. by welding or soldering, to the underside of 'frame I2.The handle is shown with a curved crosssection, which serves forreenforcement on one hand, but it also allows the inking pad to beapproached and engaged from the underside, for purposes of withdrawal ifso desired. For such purpose the frame I2 also shows a slight, crescentclearance I 6 at that point of approach.

The drawing also shows a thin protective board II to be slid into theframe I2 on top of the inking pad I I. That board I'I has a tabextending for some distance over handle I5, such tab serving formanipulation of the board I'I, when said board is to be withdrawn toexpose the inking pad II for use.

During use the part of which a print is to be made, is deposited on theinking pad II, or it is thrust thereonto over the ledge of the troughformation I4. If the surface of thepart is conveX, handle I5 may beoscillated so that the inking pad I I rolls over the part to be inked.

When the inking pad II is to be replaced by a pad containing anotherink, or is to be replaced because it is used up it is withdrawn in thedirectio-n of handle I5, and the new and other pad is inserted in itsplace.

The body of the embodiment of Figs. 3-5 isa cylindrical sector 2|, whichis out out to provide the central handle portion 22, `the upper curvedframe portion 23 accommodating the printing paper 28, and the frame 2lisupporting the inking pad I I at the bottom.

A tongue 25 is provided by striking up or offsetting the sheet materialof sector 2| and holds the top edge of inking pad II down. A troughformation 26 shaped in the bottom margin of sector 2l accommodates thebottom edge of the inking pad I I. Thus an inking pad I I may be slidfrom the right in the trough formation 2S and underneath tongue 25 intotrough formation I3 which serves as a stop on the left side of the padsupporting portion or frame 24.

Inking pad thus accommodated in a device of Figs. 3 5, is used andreplaced in a manner corre; sponding to that described in connectionwith the embodiment of Figs. 1 2.

The upper frame 23 has a trough formation 2E at the top and below atrough formation 2l' is struck-up. The two formations 26 and 21,together with the intervening sector portion, form a trough in which a.tape of printing paper 28 may be slid back and forth in order to receivevarious finger prints in the known manner.

Obviously a trough formation, as shown for paper support 23, may be usedin place of the tongue 25 in connection with the pad supporting frame24, or vice versa.

Having described preferred embodiments of my invention in detail, it isto be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereby, except as thestate of the art and the appended claim may require, for it is obviousthat various modiiications and changes may be made in the form ofembodiment of my invention, Without departing from the spirit and scopethereof.

What I claim is:

In a finger print apparatus, a frame and a handle formed from sheetmaterial, the frame and handle being concaved in cross section and theframe being of appreciably greater width than the handle and projectingfrom opposite sides thereof and having its rear portion graduallyreduced in width and its sideedges merging into side edges of thehandle, a sheet-engaging flange along the outer end of said frame, and atongue struck from the frame adjacent the inner end thereof andl bent toform an inner sheet-engaging member.

JOHN A. DONDERO.

